Opportunity
by Fragile B
Summary: Danny Phantom joins the Justice League! It's what Danny has dreamed about for years, but now Danny's not sure if the League is the right place for him. His parents are less conflicted - they decide it is time to make the world see the truth: Danny Phantom is a super-villain! A threat to Mankind that must be stopped before it is too late!
1. Good News is Bad News

"Mom? Dad? Are you down there?" Danny calls downstairs. He can see the lab door is open, so they should be able to hear him.

There's no response.

Danny sighs and rushes down the steps to make absolutely sure they aren't there.

He sticks his head into the large white room and looks around. Then, to be extra, extra sure, he ducks down and checks under the work tables. There's no sign of them. Thank Clockwork.

Danny didn't really expect to find them in the lab – they shouldn't even be in Amity Park – but it can be so difficult to pin his parents down. They're always showing up where he doesn't want them. And it's rare for Danny to get a break, much less one as lucky as this.

Just that morning, while Danny was chewing down a dry slice of toast and fighting off mutant bacon (courtesy of Mom's cooking), his parents had said they were going to Elmerton, and expected to stay the night. They were attending a conference about establishing an anti-ghost perimeter around Amity to try and keep the ghost activity contained.

Danny thought that was a great idea! And he told his parents exactly how great an idea it was for the rest of breakfast, and as he walked them to the RV. It wasn't often Danny encouraged his parents, and they were so happy that he was positive he got them to forget that single, tiny, bothersome detail, that might make them want to come home early, and not enjoy their conference to the fullest.

That small detail being: Jazz wasn't going be home. She was off getting a tour around Gotham University for the weekend. (Apparently Gotham was the place to be for the aspiring psychologist.) She had left that afternoon.

Which means only one thing:

Danny has the house to himself! And on a Friday night! How could the timing be any better?

Of course, Danny plans to be completely responsible. He's not that kid anymore, constantly trying to look cool, and join the popular kids. All that is beneath him.

Danny has moved on to _much_ bigger things. But those bigger things include more responsibilities, and it has been forever since Danny has had time to just relax and have fun.

So just a small party. Over by midnight. 30 people, max. His parents will never know. He'll clean up as soon as possible, burn the evidence for good measure, and then toss the ashes into the Ghost Zone. Every cup, crumb and. . .

A sudden thought disturbs Danny. He narrows his eyes and tries to discreetly scan the room. His parents _have_ been improving the home security lately, but they wouldn't have. . . no.

Danny decides to make sure.

Up in his bedroom, Danny flips his backpack upside down. Textbooks, crumpled up tests, and some candy wrappers pour onto the floor, but none of that is what Danny wants to find.

Confused, Danny looks inside the bag and finds the small, black and blue, pager-looking device, hooked on a loose thread. Danny grins and pulls it free.

It's a Justice League communicator. Batman gave it to him a month ago after he helped out with some wannabe necromancers in Gotham. It's not standard issue, seeing as he is not officially a member, but it's still pretty awesome.

Danny slides his finger over the engraved _JL_ and tingles run up his spine.

Yeah, it's awesome.

And it's more than a communicator. Batman didn't get into everything it can do – not a talkative guy, Batman – but he did make sure to mention one trick: it can detect hidden cameras.

"Make sure you use it," Batman had said, his white eyes revealing nothing. "You never know who might be watching."

The League doesn't know about the whole Fenton-Phantom connection, but Batman might. Come to think of it, Superman might, too.

One time when Danny was in Metropolis, and he was helping Superman undo an enchantment that had turned some average photographer into a giant ferocious turtle-man, it seemed like Superman was trying to hint that Phantom should change his name. He kept suggesting replacement names like "Danny Spectre","Danny Ghoul," or, what seemed to be his favourite: " _Ghostman_ ".

Superman probably thinks Danny Phantom is too obvious, but what does he know? Superman doesn't even have a secret identity. And as far as the rest of the world thinks, neither does Danny Phantom. Nobody is going to guess that a dead teen and an alive teen are one and the same. They won't be able to accept it.

Except for Batman, of course. He can accept it. And Superman. But those guys aren't normal; they don't go to bed before facing weird, reality-breaking stuff _way_ crazier than someone being half-dead, so they clearly don't count.

For the most part, Danny has stopped worrying about his secret id being outed by accident. As long as nobody spies on him, he can get away with one or two similarities to his alter-ego.

And speaking of spies. . . Danny pushes a few buttons on his communicator, trying to find the right setting. As soon as he finds it the communicator lights up, and starts beeping. Danny waves it back and forth and finds the beeping speeds up and slows down.

A camera detector. Cool.

At first it just leads Danny to the wifi router by his computer, but once he gets the hang of it, he finds a metal beetle, shaped like a certain fruit-loop's head, crawling behind his poster of Jupiter.

"Ugh. That's just creepy." Danny gags. "That man has got to get a hobby that isn't flirting with my mom, or messing with me." He picks it off the wall, and his hand ignites into an emerald flame. The bug melts, and liquid metal drips onto his skin. "Ah! Hot!" Danny runs to the bathroom and cleans himself off.

It's so strange how his powers work in human form. A blaze of ectoplasmic fire and he's fine, but a little hot metal and he's jumping like a frog on a stove.

He finds eight more bugs around the house (all modeled after Vlad's creepy little face) and he crushes them. Fortunately, Danny doesn't find any in his parents room. Seems like Vlad doesn't want to know what happens in there either.

Once he's positive he's not being watched, Danny jumps down on the living room couch. His camera detector is still beeping its little electric heart out, but Danny has searched everywhere, and it doesn't stop, even in rooms he has already cleared. He decides it must be sensing other electronics in the house and turns it off.

Then he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his cellphone to call Sam and Tucker and give them the all clear – the folks are gone, and it's time to party!

He calls Tucker first, and when he picks up the first thing he hears is, "I can't believe you didn't tell me!"

"What? Tell you what? Tuck, I called to tell you my parents are gone."

Tucker says something but Danny can't make it out. He's distracted by a horn blaring on the street, followed by a harsh screech, and a loud _BUMP! s_ ound, like a car had just mounted the curb.

There is only one person Danny knows who drives in such a violent, explosive manner.

"Tuck, I got to go. I'll talk to you later."

Danny peers out the window. Yup. He was right. Why does he have to be right?

Parked half on/half off the curb is the famed _Fenton Family Ghost Assault Vehicle_. Or the RV, for short. The large chrome doors fly open, and out run Mom and Dad.

"Hi, Mom. Dad. What are you guys doing home?" Danny asks, sheepish. Dad bursts past him, yelling:

"Hi, Son! Can't talk. Gotta hurry!" he stampedes toward the kitchen and starts slapping together sandwiches as fast as he can.

Danny follows Mom, who is no less of a hurry than Dad. She races downstairs into the lab and pulls open a filing cabinet near the door.

"Hi, sweetie," she says. "We will just be a minute, and then we have to leave. Let Jazz know we might be gone for another day. I'll call if we have to stay any longer."

"What are you doing?" Danny asks, as Mom pulls out files, quickly glances them over, before tossing them on a pile. "Has something happened with the conference?"

Dad calls down that he's packed and ready. "Just take them all Mads!" he yells. "We can sort them on the way!"

"On the way where?" asks Danny, getting annoyed. _He_ was the teenager around here. It was supposed to be _him_ ignoring his parents, not the other way around.

"Oh, he's right," Mom says to herself, and she starts emptying the cabinet drawers. She hands Danny a pile and asks him to help her carry them. Once they have them all, she seems to remember that Danny has no idea what's happening.

"We just got the most shocking news," she says, in the tone of a woman who can't believe what she is hearing, and is deeply, incurably offended by it. "We were in Elmerton, but we just had to come back. Somebody has to do something!"

"What?" Danny asks, for the thousandth time.

"The Justice League! Superman held a press conference and announced that they were making that rotten ghost boy a member. Can you believe that!" Danny froze, and Mom pauses to look him in the eye.

Danny feels like he was just told the Box Ghost is the new Ghost King and that circles were outlawed. No, Danny couldn't believe Superman had invited Phantom to join the League. If he had, surely someone would have _told him_ before announcing it to the entire world?!

"I know, honey," Mom says. She shifts her pile of files against her body so that she can reach out and squeeze Danny's shoulder. "He's got them completely bamboozled. But your father and I are going to go and testify about all the evil things he's done, and we'll make them understand."

Mom laughs lightly. "They're the worlds greatest heroes! But they don't know a thing about ghosts. Once they understand, they'll put a stop to that Phantom. He won't stand a chance. Once we've given the League the proper equipment of course."

Dad suddenly appears in front of them. "Hi, Danny!" he says cheerfully. "We're off to go see the Justice League! You and Jazz should come along! It'll be fun! Some good ol' Fenton family bonding!"

" _Jack_ ," Mom coos. "That's a great idea! You kids are always running into ghosts at school – you can testify!"

Danny stammers, and steps back. "Oh, I can't. I have. . Homework. And it's Sam's birthday tomorrow, and I promised that I'd. . uh. And Jazz isn't here, anyway, so someone should watch the house."

"Where's Jazzy?" asks Dad. Mom looks at Danny expectantly, but then she remembers.

"Oh, she's off seeing that college in Gotham. I forgot that was today, with all the excitement this morning." She turns back to Danny, with a stern look in her eye. "And Danny, I know for a fact that Sam's birthday is _not_ tomorrow."

It has been a long time since Danny was caught in such an obvious lie. He blushes, and tries to push past it.

"Like I said, someone should watch the house. I can make sure nobody breaks into the lab. I know I just turned 16, but that's the same age Jazz was when you started leaving her in charge and – "

Dad cuts Danny off with a big, strong, belly laugh. "Son, we're not letting you stay here by yourself. You'd throw a party!"

"No, I wouldn't!" Danny shoots back, defensive. And he wasn't planning to. Not now, anyway. He has to go see the League and figure out just what they hell is going on, and maybe defend himself from his parents' accusations.

Mom starts laughing along with Dad. "Of course you would! That's exactly what you would do. Now come along. We have to get going. Go pack some clean clothes. And no dawdling!"

Danny goes up to his room and tosses some clothes into his bag. He looks at his communicator and considers making a quick call, but then his Dad yells for him to hurry up.

"This is going to be so much fun," Danny mumbles sardonically as he swings his half-zipped backpack over his arm and walks downstairs.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Danny, as he distractedly slumps down the stairs, a little blue bug crawls out from his back pocket and falls into the mess of his bag. Its red eyes flash in amused agreement.

" _Yes, Daniel. For once, you are quite right. This is going to be so much fun."_


	2. This Car Won't Stop

When Danny started high-school, all he wanted was to stop being so invisible; he wanted to be popular, and to go to parties, and to escape the brand of being a _Fenton,_ a name Mom and Dad had made synonymous with _freak_ and _loser._

Then the accident happened, and being invisible suddenly became a survival tactic – not that Danny was any good at it. The more public Phantom became, the more eyes that followed Danny as he ran off with a half-formed excuse before a ghost attacked, or as he stumbled in late to class, with bruises under his eyes, and under his shirt. Hell, even _Paulina_ noticed something was up!

Later, after Danny had given up all hope of being normal, all he wanted was to find someone who could understand what was happening to him. He didn't expect to find another Halfa, he just wanted someone who could help. Everyday his powers grew, and his fights got harder, and while he and Sam and Tucker were trying their best to deal, none of them had any idea what the hell they were doing.

For a moment, Danny had even considered flying off to Metropolis to find Superman. He might have even worked up to the courage to do it.

But then he met _Vlad_. He was everything Danny had never dared to dream about. He was smart, he was powerful, and he had _experience_. He knew exactly what Danny was going through. But for as much as he was just like Danny, Vlad could not understand him at all.

After Vlad, Danny avoided Superheroes. He had soured on the idea of having a mentor, and after seeing what happened when Vlad was left all alone, Danny decided to value his friends more. Sam and Tucker knew him better than any Superhero ever could.

And that's pretty much the way most things have worked out for Danny. He asks for a breeze, and he gets a tornado. Literally, when Desiree's involved.

When things change, Danny gets punched in the face. Always. Even something as small and pointless as making the school's lunch menu vegan-friendly can result in Danny taking a four hour cat-nap on the pavement.

So when Superman unexpectedly announced to the world that Danny Phantom has joined the Justice League, Danny finds it hard to imagine the world not ending – or maybe just his world.

Joining the Justice League sounds fun – what teenage boy doesn't want to fight bad guys and hang out with Wonder Woman? – but there is also not a fraction of a chance that it works out like how it does in his daydreams. Not even close.

It's like Danny is moving up a level in DOOM, except he hasn't collected any of the upgrades, and he doesn't have a walk-through to tell him where to go, what to do, or where any of the traps are.

Simply put, Danny is not ready to join the Justice League.

Sam and Tucker will try to convince him that he is ready, that he can handle it, but that's easy to say from the ground. And Danny knows just how it feels to hit that ground. Besides, joining the League is only half the problem.

The more pressing issue is that Danny is trapped in an RV with Mom and Dad, barrelling toward Metropolis at over 120 miles an hour, so that they can educate the Justice League on the evil nature of ghosts, and finally destroy Danny Phantom once and for all.

Only a few hours in the League, and Danny is already at the stage where he wants to stupidly say: "well, it can't get any worse!"

Danny is suddenly wistful for a good old Alien invasion. Even Pariah Dark would be a relief. At least with Pariah, Danny has someone to punch.

Laying on the top bunk at the back of the RV, as far from Mom and Dad as he can possibly go without jumping from the window into traffic, Danny texts Sam and Tucker, and lets them know what's happened. Not that Danny _knows_ what has happened, for that he has to talk to the League, and find out why they didn't _tell him_ that they wanted him to join the League before they announced to the world that he had.

But Danny can't do that. With all the many features Batman stuffed into the tiny palm-sized communicator, the one thing it can't do is text. What caused this gigantic lapse in the memory of the obsessively prepared Caped Crusader, Danny has no idea. Maybe between installing the tracking device, the emergency beacon, and the microscopic acid capsules designed to remotely destroy the com piece, texting just slipped his mind.

More likely, Batman deliberately left it out. He probably has a reason, and Danny is willing to bet it is completely stupid, unreasonable, and impossible to argue against.

Either way, the communicator remains hidden in his pocket until he has the chance to use it unnoticed by Mom and Dad.

Danny looks over at Mom and Dad. Dad is driving, and Mom is sorting through the different files they'd brought. They're talking in low voices. Normally Danny has to focus just to ignore them; they are always so loud, and excited. This time he listens carefully.

Yup. Just as he thought. They are talking about him. Well, Phantom, anyway. They sound tense, not angry, but mad. The difference being, angry is when Danny gets another detention, or breaks something in the lab. Mad is when a ghost threatens Jazz, or when the Guys in White treat them like amateurs.

Ghosts themselves never usually make them mad, though. They are always more than eager to hunt down any kind of ectoplasmic entity, big or small. Gleeful, really. Danny has no idea why Phantom is so special, that he alone manages to piss them off. The thought of it makes Danny cold and heavy.

He decides to take a chance.

"Hey, Dad," he calls to the front of the RV, "I just realized, aren't we going the wrong way? If you and Mom want to see the Justice League, shouldn't we head to Washington? Isn't that that like the centre of everything? I mean, that's where people go when they want to complain."

If he can knock Mom and Dad off course, he might be able to stop them entirely. It wasn't until the League got involved that they started getting mad, maybe he can deescalate things. Mom and Dad can go back to Amity Park, and he can figure something out with the League. A perfect plan.

"Oh, no," says Mom, almost laughing. "Metropolis is the right place to go. I know we don't look it, but your Dad and I know what we're doing!"

"Yup!" Dad enthusiastically agrees. "We know what we're doing alright! You see, Danny, Washington may be the capital of America, but Metropolis is the capital of the entire world!"

"And how did you come up with that one?" asks Danny. His frustration bleeds into the question, and turns it mocking. The kind he normally saves for Skulker or Technus.

"Danny!" scolds Mom, shocked.

Dad falters slightly at the bite in Danny's tone. "Well," he says, suddenly unsure, "Metropolis is the city of the future. And that is where all the Aliens are always attacking. Everyone knows Superman lives there, so why would the Aliens risk going there if Metropolis wasn't important?"

As Danny thinks it over, he softens. A surge of guilt pulses through him. In an unexpected, incredibly inconvenient way, Dad is sort of on to something. Danny might even have to steal the idea for an English paper some day.

For now, he mumbles a halfhearted, "whatever", and turns away.

His cell has been vibrating in his pocket, and he pulls it out. Sam and Tucker responded almost simultaneously.

They both rave about him joining the Justice League. Tucker focuses more on the cool aspect of the job, while Sam talks about the influence he'll have to change the world. Danny could have written their texts himself, he knows them so well.

Sam shares some of his frustration at not being asked to join first, but she gets over it a lot faster than Danny expects. Despite proclaiming herself a modern iconoclast, Sam finds it hard to rage against anything to do with Wonder Woman.

Neither of them are even close to worrying about Mom and Dad testifying against Phantom. This bothers Danny, and makes him feel even worse for lashing out at Dad.

"Sorry, dude," writes Tucker, "but your parents are kind of a joke. They're good inventors, but they lack charisma. And sanity. They couldn't convince a mouse to eat cheese."

"Besides," adds Sam, "Superman is totally on your side. So is everyone else. Who knows? Your parents might join team Phantom?"

Danny snorts. That sounds unlikely. The best he's hoping for now is that one day they won't shoot Phantom on sight. And just because the media likes Phantom for the moment doesn't mean they will in another hour. Behind Skulker and the Box Ghost, the 24 hour news cycle has been Danny's most persistently annoying foe.

"Different this time," she replies. "Haven't you seen the Supes vid yet?"

Actually, no, he hasn't watched Superman's announcement yet. Given Danny only learned it existed an hour and a half ago, he feels a little excused for being so behind.

Part of him doesn't want to watch it, wants to pretend it didn't happen at all, just roll over and go to sleep. But Danny has worked hard to mastered that part of him.

So he opens up youtube on his phone, and he clicks on the first of the many Superman videos.

Danny skims through the beginning of the announcement. It's a sanitized info-dump; Superman makes the announcement, and then he just lists facts about Phantom that are already common knowledge.

 _"Young hero from Amity Park, Illinois. . . saved the city when it was stolen. . . has aided the League several times in blah blah blah."_

Danny skips forward a minute to get to the Q&A. If anything will go wrong, that's when it will happen.

". . . _leaves many doubting his ability."_

Wait. Danny rewinds the video by ten seconds. He needs to hear Superman say that last line again.

 _"Danny Phantom may not be the most experienced hero," says Superman, "and he is certainly not the most professional, or serious. He has a. . . unique style, that leaves many doubting his ability."_

Yes! That's the soundbite. Beautiful. That's what Danny wants to hear every day for the rest of his half-life. He doesn't even want to know what question Superman was trying to answer with that little gem – it doesn't matter.

Danny is stunned at how seamlessly Superman can go from saying "Danny Phantom is now one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes" to "Danny Phantom is not a good hero." His voice doesn't change at all! Must be another one of his superpowers.

 _"But while Phantom may not appear the obvious choice for League membership, believe me, he is the right choice. The Justice League needs Danny Phantom."_

Superman stands tall, and he sounds so sure of himself that for a moment Danny can't help but trust him. He trusts him in spite of the fact that Superman threw this press conference without giving Danny a heads up, and then used part of it to trash him in front of the world.

He's still angry with him, though.

A voice calls out from the audience:

 _"What can he do that the League can't?"_

 _"Can the Justice League not protect us?" shouts another impatient reporter._

More voices call out, each question beating the others down as they struggle to be heard over the murmur of the crowd.

 _"What are his powers?" one man yells._

 _" Can he beat you in a fight?" asks another._

 _"Is he related to Batman?"_

Superman raises his hand to calm the crowd.

 _"Please," he says, patient, but firm._

It' doesn't take long for the crowd to settle down. No matter how desperate they are to be heard, and get the quotes that sell – they are in Metropolis, and he is _Superman_.

Superman does not move from his place on the stage as waits to speak again. His cape flutters gently with the breeze of the park. Always the heroic pose. Danny wishes he could pull that off. For some reason the press always catches him with his pants down.

Superman looks down to the left, watching someone close to the stage that Danny can't see.

 _"Yes, Ms. Lane?"_

 _"Hello, Superman. Thank you."_ Her voice is clear, but warm. She seems oddly familiar with Superman for a reporter. But then her voice sharpens. _"What do you have to say about reports that claim Danny Phantom really is a phantom, and that he and his enemies come from a place called the 'Ghost Zone'? And how will this affect his role within the Justice League? Surely you aren't just looking for more muscle."_

Now _that's_ a question. A real question, designed to get real answers. Not what Danny has learned to expect from reporters. Superman must have been impressed, too, because he gives the reporter a small smile before answering.

Danny pauses the video and prays that Superman's answer is simple, clear, and doesn't get anyone to start thinking Phantom's a medium, or some kind of spiritual leader. Being a public menace is more than enough for Danny – at least that way people try to avoid him. Danny doesn't think he could handle being chased down for answers about the great beyond.

With great trepidation, Danny taps the screen and unfreezes Superman.

 _"That is an excellent question, Ms. Lane. As usual."_

Superman turns to look directly into the camera.

 _"Danny Phantom possesses all of the qualities that the Justice League values. He is courageous, intuitive – he is more than capable of holding his own against any threat the League may face. And most importantly, Phantom truly cares about people. When it comes time for him to make the hard choices the world asks the League to make, I trust Phantom to make the right call every time._

 _"But there are a lot of heroes who also hold those qualities. You ask, what makes Phantom stand out? Why does the Justice League need him? Why does the_ world _need Danny Phantom? The answer, because Danny is more than a hero. He's a representative. An ambassador._

 _"Phantom comes from another dimension. And it is true, this dimension has come to be known as the Ghost Zone."_

The crowd is silent as they wait for Superman to continue. Danny can feel the pressure building, the flood of questions being held back, but only barely. Amity Park has tolerated the Ghost Zone without asking about its implications, far more concerned with defence than religious investigation. That's not going to fly with the rest of the world.

 _"Not much is known about the Ghost Zone, or its inhabitants. What kind of people they really are, I'll leave to the scientists. But what I do know, is that they are a people, and that they are not going to stay hidden away. Nor should they. They will continue to come into our dimension, and I'm sure that even as I speak someone is trying to tunnel into theirs."_

Superman smiles like a father whose son has once again escaped his view, and is sure to be causing all sorts of havoc.

 _"We must learn to co-exist. And Danny Phantom joining the Justice League is the first step toward that goal. He will help bridge the gap between our two worlds."_

Then Superman thanks the crowd and flies off into the Metropolis skyline. Off to solve some crisis that only Superman can, no doubt. The last thing Danny hears before the video ends is some guy yelling:

 _"So when's Aquaman joining?"_

A small laugh escapes Danny at that. But then his smile slips away.

He is an ambassador to the Ghost Zone.

The thought sticks in his mind, no matter how hard he tries to shake it. It doesn't sound like a fun job. In fact, it sounds absolutely terrible. Danny has a hard enough time stopping the ghosts, and making sure they don't blow up anything too important – and now he is supposed to be responsible for them?

The ghosts won't ever listen to him, that's for sure. The humans won't either. He had saved Amity Park from a skeleton army, rescued them from another dimension, and even then only 60 percent of the city thought he wasn't evil.

How can he possibly be expected to bridge two worlds? All he has ever done is try and keep them apart.

And what did Sam and Tucker mean, everyone was on his side? Danny glances up at Mom and Dad, still driving, still making plans. He looks back at his phone before they catch him looking.

If anyone is on his side, then it would help if they spoke up a little louder.

Unthinking, Danny flicked his finger across the screen, and the page rolled down to the comment section.

Oh. _Wow_.

 _"Phantom Fever!"_ \- 784 likes.

 _"He may be not alive, but that's how Phantom makes me feel! Go Danny Phantom!"_ \- 1003 likes

That's the kind of support Danny likes! It looks like Paulina's fan-club is growing. He can't say he isn't flattered.

Danny laughs as he reads another comment.

 _"No more GHOSTS! No more government SPOOKS! Superman for President!"_ \- 450 likes.

He doesn't understand it, but the guy is clearly on Superman's side, so that's good. His avatar is a picture of Superman photo-shopped to be wearing a suit and tie, and it looks so ridiculous that Danny laughs even louder.

There are a few more crazy comments, both for and against Danny, but most people are on Danny's side, and are proud to say so! He scrolls through the comments for another hour, soaking in the positive energy, trying to let it dilute his fears.

For the most part it works. He still doesn't know why the League chose to surprise him with this, but he's feeling a lot better about, well, pretty much everything!

Danny looks back up at Mom and Dad. Now to do something about that situation. He pulls out his headphones and tosses his cell onto the mattress.

Danny slowly walks up to the front of the RV. He rubs the back of his head and tries to dislodge something good to say. Something clever.

Mom turns and sees him behind her before he can come up with anything, so he just says: "Sorry. For earlier, I mean."

"Apology accepted," she says. "I'm just glad you've decided to come talk to us. We have a long way to go. We shouldn't spend all our time working, or on our phones."

"Exactly! The Fenton Family works best as a unit!" cheers Dad.

"Say, Danny-boy, what were you doing back there, anyway?" asks Dad. He turns completely away from the road to look at Danny. The truck ahead of them slows and Danny's heart stops, but Mom causally stretches her arm out and pats Dad on the shoulder.

"Jack, honey," she says softly. Dad looks back to the road and jerks the RV to the left lane. Danny is thrown into the wall, but not any harder than he usually is.

"Well?" asks Dad. "Did you tell Jazzy what we were up to? Be great to have her meet us in Metropolis!"

"Um, no. I was just texting Sam and Tucker." Danny rubs his shoulder as he sits up. "And I watched Superman's announcement on youtube."

Mom looks Danny over with a worry almost hidden behind her thick red goggles. Danny decides to take a gamble. "You know, he sort of made sense. Maybe he is right about Phantom? I mean, he _is_ Superman. Shouldn't we trust him? If he thinks Phantom is a good guy. . ."

Mom might have rolled her eyes, he can't tell, but she does shake her head.

"Good one!" Dad barks. "Ha ha! Phantom! A good guy!"

Danny frowns.

"Honestly, Danny," says Mom, "It's like you don't listen to us at all!

"Ghosts are, by nature, incredibly malicious beings, with extremely volatile temperaments. They follow patterns of behaviour that are overwhelmingly destructive, and dangerous. All the data we've collected over the years has supported this model. Phantom himself is a prime example of each of these features – in some ways more than any other ghost we have seen!"

"If Jazz were here she would say you just described teenagers, not ghosts," says Danny, defeated.

Dad laughs. "Yeah, Jazz would say that! She's a funny girl. She gets it from me!"

With a soft sigh, Danny carefully steps back to his bunk. His hand slips into his pocket and fingers his Justice League communicator.

"What was it that Superman said, Mads?" asks Dad as he makes another sharp lane change. "He said we need a. . what was it again? Something to do with the Ghost Zone. . ."

"A representative, dear," sighs Mom. She shakes her head regretfully. "Superman said Phantom was going to be a representative to the Ghost Zone."

"Yeah! Superman's nuts! We don't need a ghost representative. We need an _exterminator!_ Right, son?" Dad calls over his shoulder.

Danny lays on his bed and says nothing. His communicator beeps softly in his pocket.

Oh, Metropolis. The City of Tomorrow.

Danny can hardly wait.

* * *

 **AN: Wow, this chapter was hard to do. I have no idea why. I went through like three different versions. Hopefully you like the one I settled on! The action should pick up more next chapter, but I'm more or less taking this one chapter at a time, and I don't want to rush through too much. I do have a plan though! It's vague, but I have one. I don't know how fast I'll be able to update, but I'll try my best. Thanks for reading, and I really appreciate those reviews. Any criticism is welcome! If you want to tear into me, I just ask that you be specific!**


	3. Metropolis: Where Things Happen

The Daily Planet must be the oldest building in Metropolis. The other towers shine in the morning sun, and for a moment, they appear to be made of pure silver. Danny looks down, and he sees that same magical light die on grey stone walls. The only part of the building that shares the life of the city is the bronze globe that balances beneath him.

When the Fentons finally approached the city on Saturday, the sun had almost disappeared for the night, and Danny had mistakenly thought the Planet was what made Metropolis shine, like a candle placed amongst jewellery.

As they drove closer, and the light faded, he realized his mistake. He saw that the Planet was not the heart of anything; in fact, it was an anachronism, like an engine from the 1930's somehow fixed into the workings of a Delta IV rocket.

Danny spent the rest of the night thinking about the Daily Planet.

How could such a thing survive in Metropolis? How does something so old and obsolete survive in the city that is always changing, always moving forward? In Metropolis a dozen new businesses can open their doors, close them, change their names, change owners, get sold, then get demolished, and only a week will have passed; but somehow the Daily Planet presses on.

For years now, Sam and Tucker have both happily told Danny that print was dying. It was one of few things that pleased them both. Sam would extol the enormous benefit to the environment, while Tucker always likes to boast about the superiority of modern technology.

But once again, it looks like Sam and Tucker are both wrong. A newspaper lives at the centre of the City of the Future, and judging by the amount of people who rushed inside the Planet at seven o'clock this morning, it's not going anywhere soon.

At about quarter to seven, Mom and Dad went off to City Hall to meet the Mayor and to try and set up a conference with the Justice League. Mom had made a lot of calls during the drive, and she may have set a meeting, but Danny doubts there's a city official in the world willing to work on a Sunday. So either the Mayor is taking them very seriously, or Mom and Dad forgot what day it is.

Danny prays for it to be the latter.

Mom and Dad wanted Danny to come along, but it wasn't hard to convince them to let him stay in the RV.

As soon as they left, Danny transformed and flew off to make the call he should have made two days ago.

The roof of the Daily Planet just seemed like the most sensible place to go. Aside from being the oldest building in Metropolis, it was also the most recognizable. It's easy to get lost in the glass maze of the Metropolis skyline.

Danny reaches into his bag and pulls out his communicator. It's still beeping – a sign that his beacon is still active. He had turned it on to let the League knew where he was, and that he wasn't in any kind of danger. They hadn't tried to contact him, so they must have got the message.

Either that, or they all flew off to go fight evil in space. They do that sometimes.

Now slightly worried that that he will hear Flash say _"the Justice League isn't on the planet right now, please leave your crisis at the beep"_ , Danny clicks the centre button.

Thankfully, he is immediately connected to the Watchtower, and J'onn greets him.

"Congratulations, Danny," he says, "on officially joining the Justice League. I am glad that you are finally receiving proper recognition for your efforts as a protector of Earth."

"Um. . Thanks, J'onn," Danny says. "I'm glad you guys. . uh. . let me join."

Danny pauses, uncertain. That's not exactly what he meant to say. But he didn't expect J'onn to be the one to answer him. He had planned some of what he wanted to say, but he had planned with Superman in mind.

Danny has only actually spoken to J'onn once, and it was the very definition of uncomfortable. And it was mostly his fault.

In his defence, Danny is used to being around expressive people. Bright colours, loud personalities; strange habits, and even stranger catchphrases. Those are the kind of people in Danny's life, ghost _and_ human.

But despite having green skin, red eyes, and a ridiculous outfit, J'onn is unlike anyone Danny has ever met. He is quiet, he is thoughtful, and he shows emotion like a desert shows water.

Finally, Danny decides to just go for it.

"About the League. . . " he starts. "Do you know why nobody asked me to join first? I mean, I don't mind surprises, but this a lot more important than a birthday party. I think I should have had some say."

J'onn says nothing, so Danny keeps talking. "Maybe it was a mistake. I don't know. Maybe you asked me to join telepathically and I was asleep. Is that it? I sometimes have dreams like that, it makes sense. . ."

"No," says J'onn simply, after a moment of consideration. "It was not a mistake. The decision to publicly announce your membership to the Justice League, without your prior knowledge, was discussed and carefully decided upon."

J'onn does not continue, and Danny starts to get annoyed. There is being a mysterious alien, and then there is just being a dick.

"Well?" he pushes. "Why didn't you ask me?"

"I'm sorry, I was just speaking with Superman. He wishes to explain to you in person, and is on route to your beacon. He should be there shortly."

Danny sighs. "Okay. Thanks." He moves to end the call, but then J'onn says:

"I feel should mention that I voted in favour of publicly announcing your membership. I believe it was the best course of action considering the possible alternatives; however, I recognize that we disregarded your autonomy, and for that I apologize. I hope you will forgive me."

The sincerity in J'onn's appeal shocks Danny.

"Yeah. Thank you, J'onn. I gotta. . . I'll talk to you later."

Danny cancels the call. After a moment he realizes he didn't forgive J'onn. Danny hopes he doesn't take it personally. He simply couldn't catch the right words. He's not at all mad at him.

Although, apparently the League took a vote on Danny. It's good to know they didn't screw him over haphazardly. That's a relief!

Danny catches himself and shakes his head. He wants to know what happened, but he's also trying to be more optimistic. And that means no more bitter and sarcastic thoughts. Tough though that may be.

All Danny can do now is wait for Superman. Then he can get his answers and start to figure out what to do next.

While he waits, Danny lazily swings his legs against the side of giant bronze globe, and thinks about Mom and Dad. He realizes that he probably got away from them a little too easily. They barely pushed at all.

Obviously, they know something is up with him – in the RV, he wasn't exactly hiding his anxiety, or his frustration. If Mom starts connecting his moodiness to Phantom or the Justice League, that could be a real problem.

But that's a problem for later, he decides. Danny closes his eyes, leans back, and relaxes along the curve of the globe. It could even be a problem for never. That would be much better, wouldn't it? Danny can turn his head, and all of his worries can fade away like a dry cloud.

 _Whoosh. Gone._ No more clouds. No more rain to drown Danny's parade.

An easy smile floats across Danny's face. He is in the _Justice League_ now. That's incredible! He's one of Earth Mightiest Heroes. They can do anything.

Doesn't that mean _Danny_ can do anything?

Maybe Sam was right. If he can get Mom and Dad to sit down and talk to the Justice League, and make them _really_ listen, why can't they join team Phantom? They are not stupid, no matter what people like to say. They're just stubborn. But they can't be _that_ stubborn, right?

Danny laughs loudly into the bright blue sky. He stares up, and looks for faces in the puffy white clouds that slowly twirl high above him.

His communicator gently beeps from inside his bag, which he casually holds by the strap as it hangs off the side of the globe. He wasn't expecting another call, and at first he doesn't recognize the sound, thinking it something carried on the wind, or from the building below.

When he does realize what he's hearing, he scrambles to pull the communicator free from the bag. His Fenton-Thermos rolls out and Danny quickly snatches it before it falls off the roof.

He floats from the globe, and puts his feet firmly on the flat rooftop.

"Hey," he says, "what's going on? Has something happened?"

"Don't worry, everything is fine." Superman's voice is as calm and confident as Danny has learned to expect. It's good to hear.

Normally when the League calls Danny, it means he has to fly somewhere very far away, very, very quickly. He likes to help out, but it gets pretty stressful. Now that he's officially a member, he should ask about getting his own Javelin. Or maybe Batman can design him a personal rocket! Yeah, that would be better. But back to Superman.

"Well, where are you then?" asks Danny. He laughs. "When J'onn said you were on your way, I thought you would only take a few minutes. It's been like half an hour."

"Sorry about that. There's –"

"You know, when Flash said you were only as fast as a speeding pizza delivery guy, I stood up for you! What's the hold up?"

"There's been a change of plans. Batman has asked for my help in Gotham. Diana has offered to come meet you instead. She shouldn't be long."

"What's going on in Gotham? Is it big?" Batman never asks for help – not if he thinks he can go it alone. The one time Danny went to Gotham, some cult was trying to open a portal to Hell so they could summon an evil army. It turns out they were just a bunch of hooded lunatics with a creepy book. Dangerous, but not world-ending.

Still, if Batman wants help in Gotham, it's only because he expects the worst.

"It's nothing that requires the League, so don't worry," Superman insists. "Batman suspects a kidnapping might have some ties to Metahuman research. He wants me to help search. It shouldn't take too long."

Danny sits down at the edge of the rooftop. He gets ready to do some more waiting around. But before he hangs up, he asks, "So Wonder Woman will explain everything? J'onn said you wanted to do that yourself."

The wind on Superman's end grows quiet. He must have arrived in Gotham.

"I do want to talk to you about this myself, but that will have to wait. For now, just know that we care about you. Every one of us is on your side. We each made our decision with your best interests in mind."

"Gee, thanks. I'm glad everyone knows what's best for me."

"Diana will explain as best as she can. I'm sorry, but I have to go. " He pauses, but doesn't end the call.

"Danny, Diana agreed to keep our vote a secret from you, but only because she trusts me. She doesn't fully understand our decision, and she can't. That is, unless you tell her your secret. If that's too much to ask, I understand. You can wait to talk to me if you want. But, if right now, you don't completely trust the me, or the League, know that you can trust her."

Superman clicks off. Danny falls back against the roof, and once looks up to the clouds.

There's a lot to deal with there. As always.

So Superman knows who he is. Danny figured that was the case, but now he knows for sure.

He wonders what gave him away. Was it all the Fenton Tech he gave the League? That could have tipped him off. Or maybe Superman has opposite-colour vision? He does have a bunch of different eye powers.

Something else starts picking at Danny. There was something Superman said. Something that didn't feel right. He can't place what it was. . .

Oh! Yeah. Superman doesn't want him to worry. He said it twice. That's normal enough, but for some reason, it doesn't feel right.

For some reason, it puts Danny on edge.

He decides to go check on Mom and Dad while he waits for Wonder Woman to arrive. He swings his bag over his shoulder, and flies down the street, quickly becoming invisible, just in case anybody is looking out for flying men. It would be best to not let Mom and Dad hear that Phantom has followed them to Metropolis.

First he flies over to the RV to see if Mom and Dad have come back yet. It's parked on the street, about three blocks away from City Hall. It was the closest they could get, and even then, Danny suspects they parked illegally.

He sticks his head through the roof of the RV and finds it as empty as he hoped it would be. He doesn't have to explain where he wandered off to. Although, that means Mom and Dad might actually be meeting the Mayor right now.

The good always comes with bad, doesn't it?

On the other bright side, Danny has more time to see Wonder Woman.

After checking the windshield for parking tickets (none so far, luckily), Danny thinks he might head back to the Daily Planet. It's a pretty sweet spot, and he kind of wants to show it off to Diana.

But Danny hesitates.

Superman wants him to tell Diana his secret identity. Maybe he should. He has no real reason to hide it from her. It's not like she will freak out or anything. She's _Wonder Woman._ She can definitely handle something as mundane as being half-dead.

Hell, she can probably handle it better than Danny can! She knows all about magic, and spirits, and whatnot. She should know a lot more about the Ghost Zone than what Sam can find in her creepy magic books.

But then, she might not be able to handle Mom and Dad being Ghost Hunters. It's not exactly normal for parents to hunt their own son. She might not understand. Even worse, she might feel compelled to do something about it. Is that what Superman wants?

If there's one thing Danny wants to avoid more than having his secret exposed, its having a righteous, raging Amazon chase down Mom and Dad. No matter how angry they make him sometimes, he loves them. If he has to protect them from Wonder Woman. . .

 _But that might not even happen!_

For the past two days, the only thing Danny has done is guess. He has been led around in circles, followed twisting thoughts and worries and hopes that all run back to the start. He has questioned and considered and figured and distracted himself with pointless frustrations and speculations.

With all that done, he should be finished by now!

But nothing has happened! Since he unknowingly joined the Justice League, Danny hasn't made a single decision that makes any difference.

And that brings Danny back to his question. Should he tell Wonder Woman his secret? More importantly, is this question as meaningless as every other he's asked himself lately?

Before Danny can make up his mind, a chill runs up his spine and his breath suddenly fogs against the windshield. He jolts upright, then shoots up through the roof, still invisible, and scans the sky.

"You're just going _gawk_ at her right in front of me!" shrieks a girl down the street. "You big JERK!"

That voice. . . Oh no. Danny closes his eyes. "Please no," he silently begs. "Not now."

"My BIKE! Oh, god, babe, you _scratched_ it! Why the hell did you have to go and do that, Kitty? I wasn't doing anything."

"Oh, _forget_ your stupid bike! What kind of _man_ ignores his girlfriend? You take me out to the city, and then you act like I'm invisible! Huh, Johnny? See, you're not even looking at me. Here I am, hurtin', and you're too busy caring for that goddamn bike to comfort me! Why is that, Johnny? Huh!?"

Danny will fly away! They won't even know he was here – they haven't seen him! He can just leave. They're not dangerous, anyway. Not really. In no way do they matter.

"'cause my bike never bites my head off for no reason at all!" Johnny yells back. And then he mumbles, "never acts like a bitch, either."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!"

Kitty and Johnny are 10 yards away. Johnny 13 is knelt down over his beloved bike. His back is to Kitty as he examines a chip in the paint.

In an instant his unlucky Shadow flickers out of sight. He is suddenly alone. Panic jump-starts his long-dead heart.

He slowly turns his head, and when he sees his rage-filled girlfriend behind him, he laughs, sheepishly.

There are bombs in Kitty's eyes, and an explosion in her hands.

"Uh, Kitty–"

Like an elastic stretched to its limit, Danny snaps between the the two ghosts. In a blink his ectoplasmic shield is shattered and he is thrown back against Johnny's bike, knocking it into the street. But the shield took most of the damage, and when Kitty raises her burning hand again Danny catches it and forces it skyward.

"Kitty, stop!" cries Danny. She looks at him, confused, but the torrent of flame still flares between her fingers.

"AHH! That's hot!" He catches her free hand and forces it up. Any more heat and his gloves will melt, taking his skin with them! "I guess I have to fight fire with fire!"

Danny tries to ignite a fire of his own to protect his hands. He's managed small bursts of flame before, but never anything stronger than a match. It will take all of his focus to smother Kitty's inferno.

Johnny grabs his shoulder. "Don't hurt her!"

"Thanks, Johnny," says Danny, through gritted teeth. "You're a lot of help."

The heat is overwhelming, and Danny wants to scream.

Danny can end this another way. He can let Kitty go – he can push her away. But then he knows he would have to fight her. He would have to hurt her. And despite all the trouble Kitty likes to cause, she's not evil.

Kitty is not a monster, or a crazy person. She's not a super-villain. She's just a teenage girl. And while she's always a giant pain in his ass, Danny kind of likes her.

Suddenly, Danny feels a tingling in his chest. As he focuses on igniting his hands, a shiver rolls up his body. His vision blurs, and Danny knows he is going to pass out.

"Ah!" screams Kitty, and she pulls away. Danny stumbles, but doesn't fall. His white gloves are charred and torn. He looks away before he really does pass out.

He looks up, and sees Johnny holding a shivering, faint looking Kitty. Her hands are trapped in solid blocks of ice. Johnny shoots a green ray and they shatter. Johnny turns to him.

"Hey, thanks man," says Johnny. "Is the ice new? Never seen you do that before."

"Yeah. New power, I guess. Seem to always get them just in time."

"Oh. That's cool."

Danny shifts back and forth awkwardly. Fights don't normally end like this.

The street had emptied when Kitty exploded, but now people are starting to creep back, pushed by their curiosity, and encouraged by the lack of fireworks. Danny flicks back to invisibility. It's probably too late to try and lay low, but it's worth a shot.

"Come on," says Danny, "lets find a rooftop. I want to talk."

"No problem." Johnny nods. He glances at his bike, laying dented and dirty in the middle of the street. "Can you carry Kit–" he stops himself. "I mean, _I'll_ carry Kitty. Can you grab my bike?"

"Good save," mumbles Danny. He walks over and straightens the fallen motorcycle, and forces it into invisibility too. Surprisingly, the bike resists the invisibility before he overpowers it. It is like it _wants_ to be seen.

Together, Danny and Johnny launch into the air and fly through the maze of buildings. They manage to find a two-story factory with a wide roof. The factory is not empty, so Danny reminds Johnny to stay quiet.

When they land Johnny sits on one of those industrial air-conditioners, and he pulls Kitty tighter against him. He whispers in her ear and gently rubs circles into her arm. Danny rolls his eyes.

Johnny needs to play the role of caring, attentive boyfriend for a while, but he's not exactly holding anything back – he has all the sincerity of a man at gunpoint.

Kitty seems to like it though. She sighs happily, and curls up against Johnny. Danny's willing to bet she feels better already. Kitty is playing a role of her own choosing.

"So, how did you two find me out here in Metropolis?" asks Danny. It's not the first question that popped into his head, but it's likely the most important.

Johnny doesn't say anything. He squints at Danny, then turns back to Kitty.

Danny shakes his head. Johnny is such an ass.

"Are you serious?" asks Danny. "I know your brain is like a hamster wheel, Johnny, but can you try and pick up the pace? I beat you pretty hard _every time_ we fight, but I'm sure I haven't done any permanent damage yet."

Johnny scowls. "Listen, punk –"

Danny laughs. "I just saved you! From your _very_ pissed off girlfriend, in case you already forgot."

"Just tell him, Johnny," snaps Kitty. She glares at Danny for spoiling her perfect moment.

"Alright, alright. Cool it." Johnny holds his hands up. "I was going to tell ya anyway. I just forgot for a sec how much I hate you." He looks back to Kitty. "Honestly, babe, I was going to tell him. Didn't I say that, on the way over here, that I was going to do that?"

"Can you get to the point?"

"Easy!" Johnny smirks. "You got a bug on you. A little beeper that follows you everywhere you go.

"See?" he says, as he reaches for a pocket on the inside of his jacket. He pulls out a metal device the size of a calculator. He waves it in front of Danny, and points to the single flashing dot on the screen. "There you are."

The colour vanishes from Danny's face.

"What?" he asks, shocked. He looks himself over, and finding nothing, he throws his bag on the ground. He flips it upside down and his things fall onto the gravel roof. Danny looks inside the bag, but he doesn't see anything. There is nothing there, but the dot on Johnny's device is still beeping.

How is it hiding?

Screw it. Danny throws the bag on the ground. Then he shoots a wide beam of ectoplasm and disintegrates it. The beeping stops.

"How'd you know?" asks Danny, and Kitty jumps up excitedly.

She hushes Johnny. "I'll tell this part! So, you know how Johnny can be a total jerk sometimes?" She pauses, and waits for Danny to nod. "Well, we've had a few fights – like any couple, really – but whenever that happens I usually go to Ember's club. You haven't been, but it's _so_ fun! Really punk-rock! Anyway, Ember and me are tight, and lately she started seeing Skulker and. . ."

"Skulker works for Vlad," interrupts Danny, "and he told Ember who told you that Vlad is crazy, and he's tracking me. Got it."

"Yeah!" exclaims Kitty, "so when we wanted to come see you, me and Johnny snuck into Skulker's lair and nicked one of his tracking devices!"

Danny starts pacing. With everything going so _well_ lately, it makes perfect sense that Vlad wants get involved! Wherever Danny sees trouble, Plasmius sees opportunity.

This is just like the time Vlad released Pariah Dark – he is just waiting for Danny to become so overwhelmed that he can't stop whatever scheme Vlad has planned.

Well, not this time. Vlad likes chess, but this time he's stepped into a game that's out of his league. This time Danny has Superman on his side. And Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Hawkgirl. Green Lantern and J'onn, too.

And not only that, but Danny isn't an amateur – not anymore. He can stay one step ahead of Vlad. He can catch him off guard. He can win.

Wait a second. Danny pauses. He turns back to the spectral couple, who are now making out on top of the air-conditioner. "Wait, why did you guys want to find me?"

Kitty reluctantly pulls away from Johnny. She looks up and smiles. "We just had to come congratulate you! You joined the Justice League! That is _so_ cool!"

Danny laughs. It is pretty cool.

* * *

20 leagues away from Metropolis, and nearing fast, a pirate ship races across the clouds. The Captain can be found at the rear of the ship. The _hilarious_ name for this part of the ship is not lost on the Captain, and he often sits there so that his stuffy parrot-partner will have to say it.

"Poop-deck."

It's never _not_ funny!

But besides his parrot, the Captain is alone. It has been months since he last played pirate, and his crew has abandoned him. His ship is dusty, and almost sunk, but it has not forgotten how to fly. It doesn't need a crew for that. Not anymore.

Lately the Captain has been playing _Star Wars_ , and it's just the best! The laser-blasters! The laser-swords! The _planet-lasers!_ It is all so awesome!

The only reason he stopped playing _Star Wars_ is because this morning he found some cruddy treasure map. It's not even a _good_ map! There's no X! X marks the spot – that's the rule! All this map has instead is a stupid little sticker of a stupid looking globe.

The Captain wants to throw the map away and go back to exploring worlds far far away, but he can't. Because the map promises that under the globe there's treasure, and the Captain can't resist the call of treasure.

Though he always changes, at heart, the Captain is a pirate. It's why no matter what game he plays, his name always stays the same.

He can be a cowboy, a ninja, an astronaut or a Jedi, but you can't take the _Pirate_ out of _Youngblood._

Arrrgh!

* * *

 **AN: Hello! I hope you liked this chapter, 'cause it was almost all written while I was editing! Basically, everything I intended to write got pushed back a chapter. I just kept expanding different parts until I knew I couldn't go on. At the very least, Diana was meant to show up! Next time, hopefully.**

 **And thank you for the reviews! I appreciate the encouragement, and I especially love comments on the story. You guys see stuff I don't, and you point out stuff I barely considered. What you say really does affect how the story may go! So thank you! If you're still reading, I do have some questions.**

 **Mainly, what do you think of the pacing so far? I've been trying to avoid any info-dumps, but I also don't want to drag things out. And I think this chapter may have been a little stuffed - was it alright, or should I try and cut down moving forward? If you guys have any general criticisms, about the story, or the writing, I'd appreciate them.**

 **Thank you for reading!  
**


	4. Teenagers - But The Dead Kind

"Soooo. . . this is pretty nice, huh, Johnny? A tall, old lookin' building, with a pretty little globe on top. It's cute, don't cha' think? I like it. It's got a kinda quality; charming, really. And the view up here is absolutely gorgeous, don't cha' think? Real nice. Yeah, I like it."

Danny rolls his eyes. "Kitty, you know you can leave, right? In fact, I insist. Please go."

"No no, don't mind me," says Kitty. "And I'm not lying. I promise, when I lie, you'll know. Isn't that right, Johnny?"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about," Johnny mutters, as he focuses on polishing out every single blemish marking his bike, both real and imaginary. Danny glances over at Kitty, anticipating a heated reaction, but instead she looks pleased.

So, uninterested in her happiness, Danny looks back to the horizon, leaning back his outstretched arms. Wonder Woman sure is taking a while. That's royalty for you – they never show up on time.

Wait, did he just see something? A flash of red – or was it black?

"I told you, I like it. I do. You can trust me," repeats Kitty, drawing Danny's attention away for a second. When he looks back he finds nothing out the ordinary. Just steel and glass, all the way to the horizon.

Unaware of Danny's distraction, she continues, "I can see why you brought us up here – it's really something. I don't usually hang out on rooftops, but this is great. It's nice to sit back and take a break, you know? Normally, I'm always like, _go-go-go_ , right? Always on the look out for a good time. But sitting around here – doing nothin' – it's something else. Relaxing, I guess."

"I can't tell if you're sincere," says Danny, absently, "or just being _really_ passive aggressive." As he talks, he considers his options. Maybe he shouldn't meet Diana on top of the Daily Planet. What was he thinking? It was a stupid idea.

"There is nothing _passive_ about my _aggression_ ," says Kitty, sharply. She steps off the ledge and leans forward to get in Danny's face. She meets his disinterested gaze with a threatening glare; it almost works, and Danny tenses, but then her careful mask is betrayed by the slightest twitch of a grin.

"Haven't learned to watch your words, have ya, punk," laughs Johnny, and he loudly revs his bike engine. "You're gonna get it now. My Kitten's a real fire storm, and this time she's not aimed at me! She's aimed at you!"

Kitty tries to keep up the act, but between Danny's cheeky grin beaming right at her, and Johnny's complete obliviousness, she can't hold it together. With a dramatic sigh that gives way to a bright smile, Kitty floats over to Johnny, and throws her arms around his neck, embracing him from behind.

"Oh, Johnny," she says with a laugh, "you big dummy."

"Wait, what?" Johnny's head spins around, his green eyes shifting between Kitty and Danny in confusion. When Johnny's eyes suddenly gain focus, Danny imagines a tinny electronic bell ringing in his ear, as his brain finally adds together two and two. "Oh, you were just messing around, huh? I knew that."

"Sure, we believe you," says Danny. Johnny scowls, which only serves to highlight his embarrassment, and intensify Danny's teasing laughter.

Only Kitty's embrace keeps Johnny from starting something he knows he can't win. Still, black leather audibly crinkles as his gloved hands clamp tight around his handlebars.

In a smooth motion, Danny swoops up the Fenton-Thermos perched beside him, and floats up until he is level with Johnny. Then Danny floats just a little higher, and winks down at him, earning a growl as harsh as an old engine.

He had planned to let the two ghosts go free after they helped him with Vlad's tracker. He figured it couldn't hurt to give them a break, especially since he'd already dealt with their regularly scheduled lovers quarrel.

For some reason, though, they didn't just leave. They wanted to stick around, and Danny let them, because, truth be told, he was kind of lonely. Metropolis is a strange city, and Danny felt out of place floating around by himself.

That all being said, if Johnny wants to throw away a freebie for a quick fight, Danny is more than happy to give him and Kitty some quality time together inside the Thermos. See how happy the couple is then.

But then Kitty happily sighs, and she whispers into her angry boyfriends ear. Danny doesn't mean to hear, but even with the wind, je can't but help catch her say:

"Oh, Johnny. I really do love you."

And, after a moment, Johnny breathes out air he didn't need to hold, and his body slumps forward. He stares at Danny, before intently focusing on a tower to his left. And, quietly, he says, "Thanks, Kitten. Back at ya."

With a light chuckle, Danny steps forwards, preparing a quip, but stops when Kitty aims a dangerous look over Johnny's shoulder. Danny stops, and tries to think of something better to say. Something that doesn't result in the Daily Planet becoming the Daily Cinder Pile.

Following that train of thought, he grabs the first non-offensive thing that runs through his head. "So, Kitty, did Ember teach you that trick with the fire? You hang out with her a lot?"

"Yeah! Yeah, definitely," she says, her eyes alight. She pulls away from Johnny and holds out her open hand. Concentrating, Kitty begins to hum something indistinct, and then a ball of green and purple flame spontaneously ignites over her palm, expanding until it is the size of a volleyball.

Gleefully, Kitty tosses the flame between her hands.

"The passion is all mine, of course," she continues. "But Ember showed me how to channel it. At first, I thought her whole fire thing was a gimmick, right? Like, her spin on the whole _Kiss_ aesthetic? And I was like, 'her style is lame, and played out', and I really regret saying that, 'cause that girl knows her stuff!

"She taught me a trick or two to draw the fire out, but it all came pretty naturally. I guess I just have one of those cores, you know?"

Danny shakes his head. For once, Kitty is a step ahead of him. "Cores?" he asks. "What is that?"

"Can we stop talking about Ember?" interrupts Johnny. "Seriously, the chick does enough of that herself. She can play, I'll give her that, but that girl doesn't know when to stop talking."

"Johnny!" yells Kitty, annoyed. "She's my friend!" Johnny throws his hands up and looks to Danny for support, and this time, Danny has to give it to him. Ember has attention issues so massive she makes Paulina look well adjusted.

Fortunately, before another fight can break out, Kitty is distracted by something behind Danny.

"Hey! Look," she says, "it's Wonder Woman!"

"What!" Danny spins around. And there she is. Hovering, just off the edge of the rooftop, the Amazonian Princess beams in the sunlight, wearing a glow like that of a ghost, except pure, and beautiful.

"Hello, Danny," she says, smiling, as she steps down from the air, onto the roof beside him, "are these friends of yours?"

"What?" asks Danny, stunned.

A sudden clap gives him something to focus on. Danny quickly looks back to see what happened. Kitty gives a tight, phony smile, and she gives a small excited wave, while Johnny stares up the clouds, with a grimace, and one hand rubbing the back of his head.

Danny subtly glances at the stunning Superhero beside him, and for once, feels a tinge of sympathy for Johnny 13. It's not everyday a guy meets a woman like Diana.

"Well, Danny?" says Diana.

"Of course, we're friends!" answers Kitty, brightly. Then she leans forward, as if to whisper, and with a sharp glance at Johnny, says, "Danny and me used to date, even. I don't remember _why_ it didn't work out. He was always so _thoughtful_!"

"Really!" says Diana. She give Danny a look both enthusiastic and befuddled. And Danny somehow manages to fight the urge to bang his head against the giant bronze globe. He would probably dent it.

"How wonderful," Diana continues, "Danny rarely talks about the people in his life that _don't_ want to destroy him. And not once has he told me about any of his ghostly friends. I almost thought he had none. So it is a very great pleasure to meet you."

"Oh, I'm Kitty. And this is Johnny. We're pretty much Danny's _only_ friends." She pauses, and again leans forward, but this time she actually does attempt a whisper, _"Our Danny's not very good with people."_

"Yeah," agrees Johnny. "He would probably have more friends if he didn't go around acting like some-kinda cop, always getting in peoples business and stuff. Plus, he's really annoying."

"Is that so," says Diana, with a curious glance at Danny. And he knows he has to stop this right now, before his awkward embarrassment gets any closer to total humiliation – if that hasn't been achieved already.

"I wouldn't call them friends," he says. "More like. . uh. . not enemies? Well, actually. . . What's a word for an enemy that is sometimes alright? Or an enemy that sucks at being an enemy, so they're not too bad?"

Kitty loudly complains about this description, while Johnny simply laughs. Diana ignores them both as she considers Danny's meaning.

"Hmm, I think I understand. I believe I have a similar relationship with one of my Patrons. The craftsman, Hephaestus, has a fondness for designing magnificent weapons and tools to be used on Themyscira, but his creations just as often find themselves in hands of the corrupt, and put to evil purpose. He does not seem care either way."

Diana shakes her head as she recalls the deity. "He is really quite irksome, but is also very useful whenever I require aid. And he created my armour, and the golden lariat, for which I am forever grateful."

"That's armour?" asks Johnny, incredulous. Then he ducks Kitty's swing.

"Irksome sounds about right," says Danny, considering, "but I think calling them useful might be _too_ generous. Hmm. . Maybe, occasionally convenient?"

"You know, you're being a real dick," says Johnny. He glances at Kitty, and she nods in agreement, so he continues. "I get you think you're a big league big-shot now, but you're still just a punk."

Danny opens his mouth to reply, but Diana beats him to it.

"I am sure Danny did not mean to be rude or dismissive. I have distracted him." She looks to Danny. "You must be anxious to learn why the League acted in secrecy."

"I wouldn't say anxious, but yeah, I'd –"

"What secret?" asks Kitty.

"It is nothing serious," says Diana. "But, if you would excuse us, I should speak to Danny alone." And to Danny she says, "I landed the Javelin in a field not far from the city, we can talk there."

Suddenly, Johnny revs his engine, and Kitty jumps on the seat behind him. "We're coming, too," says Kitty. "This sounds juicy!"

"Besides," adds Johnny, "not like there's anything else to do 'round here. This town sucks."

Diana steps forward, arm stretched to out to halt them. "I'm sorry but –"

"They're not going to leave us alone," says Danny. "It's who they are. I'll put them in the Thermos, then we can go."

"You can try," says Johnny, baring his teeth.

"Is this truly necessary?" Diana asks, looking between the three ghosts. "Must it always come to threats and violence?"

"Better believe it, lady," answers Kitty with a thin smirk.

"But. ." Diana hesitates. "What reason is there to fight?"

Wonder Woman has years of experience ending conflicts, big and small, all over the world, and not only as a powerful Superhero, but as a skilled diplomat. And she can already tell she will have no success here.

As she stares at the two ghosts, she clearly struggles to understand them. What do they want? What are they willing to do? Why do they want a fight they know they cannot win?

The answers are hidden from her beneath the apathetic shadow that flows around Johnny like silk, and the uneasy excitement of the girl at his arm, with her outrageous, toxic appearance.

Danny can only guess at what Diana makes of the them.

This is the first time, Danny realizes, that Diana has had to deal with real teenagers.

She knows children of course - her activism and charity would bring her around plenty of kids. But teens are a different animal, they don't get that kind of attention unless they've done something wrong.

Least that's what Sam says – as always, she's a little biased. But seeing Diana now, her total confusion, Danny thinks she might be right.

The only teens Diana would meet in her line of work are the ones who want to see her. She's probably used to the shy, admiring kind, the ones that scream and holler when they see her, but blush and look away when she talks to them. The teens she has met are kind, respectful, and they always listen to her carefully.

And those teens are in no way _real_. Because the second they see Diana, they miraculously transform into 'young-adults'; they straighten their backs, straighten their clothes, and wear their best _picture-day_ smile. They idolize Wonder Woman, and they care what she thinks of them.

But that's not real. That's certainly not Kitty and Johnny. They don't care that it's Wonder Woman they're dealing with. To them, Diana deserves as much respect as they give anyone over 30, who pays taxes and follows the law.

None whatsoever.

They just want to do what they want to do. And usually what they want is to do is everything they're told not to.

The don't give a crap about making the world a better place, because the world isn't perfect and who cares? They have fun anyway. Life may suck, but the faster you go the better it gets, and they're going 165, and won't slow till they crash.

And one day they did crash. That didn't stop them.

Even though Diana has faced some of the cruelest, evilest beings in the Universe, she's out of her depth. She's seen the horrors of Man, but she has no idea how petty the average teen can be – and Kitty and Johnny moved beyond average decades ago.

So Danny decides to give her a break. He lowers the Fenton-Thermos, and looking at Diana, he shrugs his shoulders.

"It doesn't matter," he decides. "As long as they stay quiet, I don't care if they hear. It's not that big a deal."

"Way to go, Danny!" cheers Kitty, as she claps enthusiastically. "Very cool!"

"That is very mature of you, Danny," says Diana, smiling. She looks over at the large globe beside them. "Though, I think we should still move to the Javelin. We may all be friends, but this is not an ideal place to talk. Reporters can be very nosy, especially when you tempt them."

"Oh, I uh, thought it was nice," stammers Danny, blushing. "It's tall, and recognizable and. . . Never mind. Lets just go."

Before leaping from the rooftop, Danny stops and grabs Diana's hand. "We should fly invisibly," he explains, looking away. "You and Kitty, too, Johnny. Invisible. I don't want anybody talking about ghosts in Metropolis."

"Yeah yeah," says Johnny, as he, Kitty, and his bike flicker out of slight."That's real smooth move, by the way. You use that invisibility excuse to get close with that goth-chick, too?"

"You know, he did do that once when _I_ was with him!" laughs Kitty.

Grumbling, Danny turned invisible, and let it slip over Wonder Woman.

Then, wordlessly, he tugs on Diana's hand, signalling for her to lead the way. Thankfully, she chooses not to comment. With one hand pulling his, Diana soars through the air, guiding Danny toward the Javelin.

Danny desperately hopes that the slight trembling he feels in her arm isn't because of her barely contained laughter. It could just be the cold, he thinks. Maybe she has a nervous tremor. His hope is shattered when he hears a small chirp that doesn't sound anything like a bird.

Hey look! We've reached total humiliation! Danny knew he would get there eventually. What a great impression to make. Diana must be really glad he joined the Justice League now! Their Super-team was always missing an awkward teenager – he's just what they need!

From far behind, Danny hears Kitty call: "are you guys still here? Where are we going?"

"Damn it!" yells Johnny, after a moment. "That little punk tricked us! He's gone!"

"Aw! Danny! What the hell! Don't go!"

That's when Diana loses control, and her laughter spills out over Metropolis. Danny is happy to join her. But then he puts his finger to his quivering lips to shush her, in case Kitty and Johnny are looking for them. Of course, she can't see his hand, and when Danny realizes that he laughs even louder.

They make it back to the Javelin without being followed. The white, dagger shaped spacecraft is sitting behind a slight hill, with bushes providing marginal cover around it. Danny easily phases them through the ceiling and lets Diana's hand go as soon as they pass through.

"That was very clever, Danny. Did you have that trick planned the whole time?"

"No, it just came to me," he says, as he drops into the copilots seat. "I really was going to let them listen. I wanted to avoid a fight – try and do that ambassador-thing Superman was talking about."

"Then you are very clever, and very kind, as well." Diana sighs pleasantly. Danny motions for her to sit, and she does. Then she says, "I admit, I had some concerns before, but I am glad to be wrong. I think you will be as skilled a diplomat as you are a warrior."

"That's not very comforting. Well, at least being an ambassador won't hurt as much."

"Trust me, at times, you will be longing for a fight. It's much more satisfying to punch a criminal than it is to deal with the political glad-handing and bureaucracy. However, it can be very rewarding, as well."

"Oh." Nervous, Danny spins his seat around. After one cycle he stops himself, realizing how stupid he must look. "Um. Do you want to just get into it then?"

"I think that would be best."

"Okay. Cool." Danny licks his lips. He needs a drink. "So, what's been going on? I heard there was a vote?"

Diana nods. "Yes. Last Wednesday we gathered to discuss whether or not you should be made an official member of the Justice League. I, of course, voted in favour. You and I spoke about this many months ago, and I knew you wished to join."

"Yeah, I _wanted_ to join the League, but I didn't like, actually _want_ to," says Danny, suddenly defensive. "I didn't ask," he says, trying to force his words into something sensible. "It's like, sometimes I want to punch someone, but I don't _really_ want to. It's a daydream!"

"I know, I'm sorry. I did not mean to put any blame on you. I simply meant, when we voted, I, and the others, all knew you that enjoyed working with the League. And we took that into consideration."

"Sorry," says Danny, calming. He can't believe he just snapped at Wonder Woman. She probably hasn't ever had a teen do _that_ to her, either. Then again, has anyone ever snapped at her? She _is_ Wonder Woman. Who could be that stupid? Other than Danny, that is.

"But I gotta say," Danny adds, "I don't really want to be the official 'ghost-ambassador.' I can do alright with Kitty and Johnny, I guess, but that's it."

"I understand it will not be easy –"

"Screw easy – it's impossible! You don't understand how crazy ghosts can be! The whole dimension is full of lunatics flying around beating the hell out of each other! That's why they all want to get out."

"I can't believe that's true. I admit, your friends caught me off guard, but they were not raging lunatics. In some ways, they are like you. Complicated.

"However, none of that matters right now. Say you are right. But we did not want you to join the League to become an ambassador. That was merely an excuse we crafted for the media."

"So why did you want me to join? Why now?"

"Because we like you, Danny," says Diana, simply. "We care about you, and want to help you. As part of the Justice League, our work is recognized. We have the ability to coordinate with Military and Police without worrying for our safety, or our freedom. We can work _with_ the people we protect, and not _around_ them. In fact, since the founding of the Justice League, Heroes everywhere have felt these positive effects. But you have not."

"I kind of have. . ."

"No, Danny. You have not. In the eyes of many you are a criminal, and to some you are even less. Organizations like the so called "Guys in White" hunt you like a raging beast. The Red Huntress relentlessly targets you in the heat of battle, threatening not only you, but everyone you protect.

"And worst of all, the Fentons. Jack and Madeline Fenton are supposedly the premier experts on ectoplasm, and their mastery of this substance has allowed them to construct weapons unimaginable, as devious and devastating as Hephaestus, himself. These weapons are funded by the American government, and various Think Tanks, and are designed with the express purpose of capturing, studying, and dissecting, _you._ And you alone."

"That's not true! They don't target me, I'm just around all the time. They're ghost hunters – they hunt ghosts! All of them. And I use their tech all the time. It's not bad, it's helpful. Why do you think the Spectre Deflector I gave you had _Fenton_ written on it?"

"I am not ignorant of what happens in Amity Park, Danny. The League has watched over you for some time, and we did not come to our decision suddenly, or without thought. Your relationship with the ghost-hunters has been escalating for months. You are in serious danger.

"We could no longer remain uninvolved. By publicly joining the Justice League you are protected from any open attack. If the Fentons, or the Red Huntress, try to capture you, the League will have the authority to stop them." Despite her serious tone, Diana can't help a slight smile. "Already there is progress. As we speak, the Guys in White are being dismantled. To avoid a potential scandal, the President has chosen to reevaluate his Administrations policy regarding ghosts."

"Really?" Danny shoots up, with a wide smile. "That's incredible!" Danny shakes his head in disbelief as he floats back down to his seat. "Okay, I get what you're saying. But none of that explains why you went above my head. Why didn't anybody ask me, or explain all that!"

At this, Diana frowned. "I'm not entirely sure. I know we needed to decide immediately. Beyond the threat of the ghost-hunters, several criminal organizations have begun to take notice of you. The League of Assassins. Kobra. Intergang. We agreed that, to keep them at bay, you must join the League immediately."

"And?"

"And Batman believed that, if asked, you would refuse."

"That's ridiculous!" Danny stands up again, this time angry. "I'm not a grade-A student, but I'm _not_ an idiot! Why would I say no? If you explained all that, of course I would join! I'm not an idiot!" he repeats.

Diana rises, and puts out her hand to calm him. "I do not understand either, but he was quite sure. The crux of Batman's argument was, essentially, that you do not trust us. While you would eventually decide to join the League, Batman claimed that you would first attempt to face the danger by yourself, as you have been doing for several years now."

"What? I trust you guys. A little less now, but there's some trust there, for sure."

"I believe you. And I believe Batman did not tell us everything. His arguments are rarely so unsupported. He has a reason for why he believes what he does, but I can not tell you what it is.

"And I cannot lay this guilt on his feet alone, Danny. Superman and J'onn both agreed with Batman's suspicions, and I put my faith in them. The League agreed that the longer you stayed alone, the more danger you would be in. So we voted to publicly declare your membership. We hoped that once you saw tangible benefits, you would overcome any reservations you may have held."

"You can't just make my choices for me! I'm not a little kid. And not a Robin, either, so you can tell Batman to fuck off!"

Frustrated, Danny flies through the roof and paces across the top of the Javelin. He wants to hit something. Where's the Box Ghost when you need him? Probably sitting inside some dark warehouse in Amity Park counting bubble wrap. That's where Danny wants to be.

Metropolis stretches out before him, just as it did last night when he drove in with Mom and Dad. He admired it before, but now it's intimidating.

Danny doesn't belong here. He should be in Amity Park, fighting ghosts; joking with Sam and Tucker; hiding from Mom and Dad. It's not perfect, he knows that, but at least Danny is in control there.

Joining the League has been a pain in the ass. He hasn't even gotten to the hard stuff yet. That comes next, when he finds Mom and Dad and learns their grand plan to finally capture Phantom. That will be fun.

They'll probably make him get up on a stand, and tell the Justice League and the Mayor and whoever else, just how horrible and evil Danny Phantom really is. And then maybe Superman will reveal Danny's identity, or Diana will try and arrest Mom and Dad. Then Clockwork can show up, and he can make some choices for Danny, too.

Danny wants to be in the Justice League. He decided on that even before hearing Diana's explanation. Danny wants to be one Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

He just doesn't want all the other crap thrown on top.

Maybe Batman was right. There are a lot of pro's to being on your own. Maybe Danny would have said no. He certainly wasn't happy when he first heard the news.

But there is no way to know what he would have said. Because they took that choice out of his hands.

"Ahh!" groans Danny, as he throws his head back, and clamps his hands over his eyes. After a minute, he open his eyes and looks straight up at the sky.

"What the hell?"

Floating overhead, on level with the top of the tallest skyscrapers, a solid brown mass moves toward the city. He watches as it moves further past, and slowly recognizes its shape.

It's a. . . boat. A really big, damaged looking boat.

Oh no.

He turns as Diana finally joins him atop the Javelin. Before she can say anything, he points up, and asks, "Can you see that?"

Diana looks, then shakes her head in confusion. "You mean the clouds?"

"Damn," says Danny, as he stares at the boat. "There's a ship up there. A ghostly Pirate Ship. And only kids can see it."

Then, suddenly, an explosion shakes Metropolis. The fire is hidden behind the towers, but it doesn't take long for the smoke to rise into view.

Is that where Mom and Dad are!? Danny suddenly panics. He tries to remember which direction they went. It could be that way. It's hard to tell.

Oh Clockwork. This is bad.

Another explosion. From the same place as the last. Danny looks up, and sees the Pirate Ship still following its course, sailing far away from the black flowers that begins to bloom, and spread out over towers.

They aren't related.

What should he do? Where should he go?

Mom and Dad might need him. But only he can see Youngblood.

"Here, take this," says Diana, and she shoves an earpiece into Danny's hand. Then without another word she springs off the Javelin, and races toward the fire.

Danny hesitates, but only for a second. Then he sticks the small communicator into his ear, and launches up into the sky.

It's time to stop playing around and get to work.

* * *

 **AN: Hey, there! If you can, please let me know how I'm doing with the character voices so far! I'm not very confident with Wonder Woman, but I want to use her perspective for part of the next chapter, so any comments or advice are welcome!**

 **I wish I had gotten this chapter out sooner, but honestly my attention span needs work. Thank you to all who reviewed! I'm glad people appreciate my take on Danny. This chapter was pretty much dialogue, but next time there should be plenty of action. I would leave a teaser, but what I plan to write keeps getting pushed back. I guess I can leave you with this, though: Two Battles in Metropolis, Four Teams of Two, and Trouble in Gotham City.**

 **Now, lets see if I can deliver on all that. See you next time!**


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